NATIVE Exclusive: Ladipoe talks self-conviction & pushing his artistry
“I came into this thing to get better, not worse.”
Ladipoe is every interviewer’s dream. Considering the calm vigour and poise he exudes on wax, his eloquence is unsurprising, however, it remained noticeable and entrancing during our conversation over the phone. He speaks with the casual intensity of someone who needs to be fully understood, making sure every sentence imbues a sense of clarity.
“When you feel like you represent something to people, you want to hit that target—and more so, because you represent that thing to yourself”, Poe offers when I ask him about the lofty expectations that have trailed him since he came on to the Nigerian rap scene. As far back as 2010, Ladipoe made his debut on “Victoria Island of Broken Dreams”, a standout off Show Dem Camp’s ‘Clone Wars, Vol. 1’ mixtape. In sixteen resounding bars, Poe walked listeners through the peculiarities of his Nigerian experience, culminating into a socially charged rant that was held up by prodigious rapping.
In fact, it took Poe eight years to put out a studio album ‘Talk about Poe’ in October 2018. “I didn’t want to call it a studio album”, he admits, but there was little wiggle room for the title semantics of a long-awaited project, especially since the years in between were filled with stellar, yet sparse features and loose singles. Upon its release, ‘T.A.P’ became a victory on two notable fronts, the first being by the sheer value of its existence. It might not be widely deemed as a modern Nigerian rap classic, but it felt important: it was the final arrival of a potential rap star who was only gearing up to go his own distance.
The second victory was in its chosen musical direction. A year-and-a-half prior to the debut full-length release, Ladipoe’s recording deal with Mavin Records was announced, a move that was met with surprising—and divisive—murmurs. As a label that had earned its acclaim for constantly and successful marketing pop acts, there were fears that Poe’s new affiliation would drastically alter the creative direction of his music. Allaying those fears, ‘T.A.P’ found him in his tested and trusted element, merging dynamic lyricism, relatable emotions and eclectic production which ran the gamut from soulful, reflective raps to thumping anthems.
“I’ve learnt that people don’t know what they want, so you need to give them you, and don’t worry about whether they will like it or not. It has to be your authentic self, first, so that they set their own standards and expectations accordingly.”
To him, fulfilling high hopes isn’t pressure—“I look at it too positively to call it that”—and he needs those who care to know that he also has his sights on the highest plane possible, but it’s a journey he considers continuous. If you add his debut album, Ladipoe has arguably been in the most prolific period of his career yet for the past eighteen months. The guest verses have been pouring in, he’s shared a handful of singles, and he flipped the calendar between 2019 and 2020 with Revival Sundays, a series where he put out five new songs and accompanying DIY-ish videos over five weeks. The defining element of these drops is that, Poe is adjusting and widening the musical range of his output.
To open last year’s run, he dropped “Jaiye (Time of our Lives)”, a vibrant and colourful song about finding the right people to enjoy the beauty of Lagos with, amidst all of its chaos. Produced by label mate Johnny Drille and accompanied by a stunning video, you’d think the glossy folk-pop cut was an overt play at finagling a hit song, but Ladipoe proclaims his intentions with the opening ad-lib—“I do know this is my vibe”. Although “Jaiye” was a well-executed switch-up his next single, the Crayon-assisted “Based on Kpa”, felt drastic by comparison.
In the larger context that is Poe’s career, though, the back-to-back drop of those singles was a reclamation of the perceived boundaries around his skillset. “It was less of a catalyst and more of remembering”, Poe began to explain when I probed him on the motivation behind the musical adjustments. “When I first started making music, my first producer was a guy named Kurt, and he used to play the guitar—he’s a full-on white boy. I introduced him to more African music, he introduced me to a lot of old rock/folk shit. I was listening to Elliot Smith, Death Cab for Cuties, Postal Service, and I even got into bands like Vampire Weekend and MGMT. Of course I’d been listening to hip-hop and rap growing, but all of this came at a stage where I was learning to make music, so that period heavily influenced how I felt music.”
For him, channelling those influences in his music only feels natural when you’re actively trying to grow. In these parts, when you’re deemed something of a rap messiah, putting out anything but lyric-driven rap songs is a recipe for backlash from familiar listeners, however, he sees it as a by-product of the artist having to evolve before the listener. “I’ve elevated from thinking that when I hear a song, I have to rap the sickest verse, to ‘when I make music, I need to make a great song’”, he explains with a stronger hint of passion in his voice.
“I am not just a rapper, I am a songwriter—I am an artist. If the music doesn’t need a hard sixteen, and it needs a melodic flow and something really catchy, that’s what I will do.”
While he’s still working his way up to acceptance at home, Ladipoe’s ethos has become the norm in rap’s global landscape. In referring to himself as more than a rapper, he cites Drake as an inspiration, noting how his fluidity plays an integral role in the connecting value of his music. “Niggas want a classic, that’s just ten of these”, Drake rapped on the 2019 deep cut, “Sandra’s Rose”, a nod to the multitude of fans who would rather hear him rap over soul samples, but also an acknowledgement that his musical ambitions won’t be chained to one specific style. This is where Ladipoe’s currently at.
In July 2019, Poe released “LOTR (Leader of the Revival)”, a potent statement track of skill and ambition that quickly went viral after its informal drop on Twitter. Attacking Ikon’s Jazz-inflected beat with a vicious purpose, Poe unloaded a flurry of clever and clear raps, culminating in a song that felt—and still feels—like watching thunder spark and sizzle in a bottle. Predictably, comments started rolling in “LOTR” being Ladipoe in his best form, and how he needed to stick to those elements to justify the hype that’s always surrounded him. Well, he’s not planning to play to those rigid rules.
“The whole idea behind LOTR, in my head, is not about rap or hip-hop is dead, it’s that the bar for artistry needs to remain high.”
Chances are, if you’ve been paying attention to Poe in recent times, the word “artistry” isn’t alien when he talks. For him, the concept of artistry is one that allows musicians purposefully work within their ambitions, where the only boundary that truly matters is excellent. “If you’re a rapper, think of yourself as much more: how you want to see yourself, who people should see you as, how you want to perform your music. I can’t imagine being a great rapper but a bad stage performer.”
To Ladipoe, being wholesome is the essence of being an artist. It’s why he’s making music that reflects the diversity of his influence and range of his skillset, and why he carries himself with an electrifying presence on stage. As a self-appointed leader, being an artist also means being a beacon for the next generation of artists that their style of music is relevant. One explicit way of achieving this is through collaborations: in the last year, Poe has appeared on projects from Bella Alubo, Remy Baggins and Psycho YP, while also introducing rising rapper Victony via Revival Sunday cut, “Revival Mode”.
“I believe in them, I think they’re important, and it’s important for there to be a swell of new, young artists, ‘cos our industry has the space and it needs the freshness”
Towards the end of our conversation, we finally got to the reason for the interview in the first place: Ladipoe’s new single, “Know You”, featuring Simi. Poe describes the song as the perfect quarantine song, as it addresses growing and missed connections. “Social distancing doesn’t mean emotional distancing, that’s just really the core of the song”, he excitedly explains. “So that person you were trying to get with before lockdown, or the person you’re communicating with during this period, or even just family you’re reconnecting with, this is the song for all of that.”
For all intents and purposes, “Know You” is what you’d describe as a sultry bop. Alongside his guest, Poe slips into a melodic cadence that exudes charm and sensuality, applying vivid songwriting to properly convey the song’s relatable topic. This is a change of pace from the explosive “LOTR” and boisterous cuts on the Revival Sunday series, which the new single a win for Poe’s increasingly effective versatility, and pushes him another step in the right direction of cementing himself as an ambassador for artistry.
Currently, he’s is working on a project—not his sophomore album—that we should be getting mid-way through the year, but could likely be delayed by the ongoing lockdown. He deems the project as something that would show all the sides to his capabilities and person.
“I started this off as someone who could put together sixteens, and while there’s still a thrill to that, I want to explore and show off every facet of what I can do. I came into this thing to get better, not worse.”
[Featured Image Credits Provided by Artist]
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NATIVE EXCLUSIVE: A-Q IS MOVING FROM VETERAN RAPPER TO LEADER OF A RENAISSANCE
Skyla Tylaa Is Taking Off
For the next phase of her career, Skyla Tylaa is actively working on creating music while entertaining with...
As a child growing up in South-east London, Skyla Tylaa had a natural affinity for the arts. Whether it was music or stage performances, she found herself exploring these interests intently from a young age. That devotion manifested in multiple ways – her attending the BRIT School and Sylvia Young Theatre School where she performed in a West End production of Annie or her fiddling with several musical instruments while she figured out her creative identity. Through it all, music was a constant, the backdrop to her home life where she grew up between Jamaican and English influences. She remembers being exposed to Drum & Bass, Funky House, and Garage. “I think that’s had a big influence in my DJ career,” Skyla Tylaa admits.
Progressing into adulthood, those musical influences persisted even if she didn’t always engage with them professionally. Things changed when she started DJ-ing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Possessed by a visceral desire to experience the euphoria of interacting with people through music, she burrowed deeper into DJ-ing. “I couldn’t be in my room and just have people commenting,” she recalls. “I need to see people’s energy, and feel everything in the moment.”
Since then, she’s enjoyed a meteoric rise that has taken the world by storm. Mentored by DJ Tunez, she performed multiple times on the American leg of Wizkid’s ‘Made In Lagos’ tour and came out of the experience raring to go. “Opening for Wizkid on his tour was a transformative experience,” she says. “It taught me a lot about resilience and adaptability in my craft. I was still pretty much a start-up DJ when I went on tour and it made me really realise how important it is to connect with the audience. Touring from city to city with different crowds, it helped me to learn how to read the room and keep the vibe going.”
Almost as importantly for Skyla Tylaa, Rihanna was present at one of those tour stops and was impressed by her set, stopping by after the show to congratulate her. “After that I felt like I could conquer the world,” she says. Since then, she’s been selected by Rihanna to DJ at a Fenty X Puma Creeper launch event in London in 2024, marking a full-circle moment between the women.
Like Rihanna, Skyla Tylaa is inspired by music from the breadth of the Black diaspora, playing sets that take as much influence from the fervid restlessness of Hip-hop as they do the wavy melodies of House music, and the dancefloor summons of Afrobeats “I love partying! I genuinely love it,” she explains. “When preparing my sets, I’m always thinking of people having a good time. Whatever I can do to connect with them, I’m down to do it!”
In the last few years, few genres have shown the propensity for inspiring a great time with the regularity that Amapiano does. From Johannesburg to Windhoek, to Lagos, London, and New York, the log drums and mutating basslines of the genre have proven integral to a new Pop framework that is as amorphous as it is exhilarating. Since first hearing the genre while on a visit to Ghana years ago, Skyla Tylaa has been hooked. “It was the log drum, the sound, just the vibes that came with it,” she says. “I was like ‘wait – what is this?’ When you hear Amapiano, it’s one of those sounds that no matter what, you’re gonna dance.”
Diving into the genre, she’s picked up valuable lessons from important figures like Maphorisa, Uncle Vinny and Major League DJz while putting her youthful spin on the sound. It’s all coming together for the DJ who’s working with her sister, music heavyweight Jada Pollock, to figure it all out one step at a time. “When I found my passion for DJing, Jada was right there, urging me to dive into the ‘Made in Lagos’ tour,” she says. “I wasn’t sure I was ready, but she believed in me and knew I could handle it. My love for music has been with me since school; it just took some time for me to realize that this was the direction I wanted to pursue. Once I found my calling, her support became endless–she attended my early gigs and pushed me to perform at major festivals like Afro Nation.”
She’s since performed at leading festivals such as Wireless, Piano People and Australia’s Promiseland as well as selling out headline shows across London, London, and Ghana. For the next phase of her career, she’s actively working on creating music. This month, she released her debut single, “Bombshell,” a searing Amapiano banger that has all the hallmarks of a potential summer hit. “Bombshell” features Tanzanian Bongo Flava act, Diamond Platnumz, as well as South African acts, Tyler ICU, Khalil Harrison, and DJ Exit. It’s a blockbuster showing that sits well in the tradition of the genre. “The idea was initially played to me by Tyler ICU in March 2024,” Skyla Tylaa says. “He and I had a session while he was in London, and this was one of the ideas we worked on. Khalil was already on it, at the time, and I loved what I heard!”
After seeding it into her live sets last summer and starting live teasers with a dance challenge, Diamond Platnumz reached out about potentially working on the song and it was arranged. “I started teasing the new version of the song in my sets and then a whole new viral dance challenge came about online in December,” she says. “From that point, I knew the track had all the elements (features included) to be a big release in 2025 !” For DJ Exit, a chance to be part of a transformative song like “Bombshell” was an opportunity he didn’t want to pass up. “What drew me to this single was the chance to be part of something boundary-breaking,” he explains. “Gqom and Amapiano are both powerful in their own right, but fusing the raw, percussive energy of Gqom with the soulful, hypnotic swing of Amapiano creates a sound the world hasn’t fully experienced yet. This isn’t just another collaboration–it’s a cultural statement.”
The Xhosa word, ‘basazomangala,’ meaning ‘to be shocked,’ is uttered several times on “Bombshell,” and it reflects the message that Harrison was trying to pass on the track. ““Bombshell” is really about letting people know that there’s still so much more to come from me,” he says. “It’s a celebration of the present moment, but also a reminder that this is just the beginning. We’re all dancing to what’s happening now, but there’s an energy in the air that says the best is yet to come.”
In light of Amapiano’s rise to global prominence and the international acclaim it enjoys, Harrison is right about more things being on the horizon, and Skyla Tylaa agrees with him: “When I was introduced to Amapiano, I fell in love instantly and that time it was just on the verge of global appeal. It’s global now and still growing and that makes me appreciate it even more! I love it, and the world loves it! The feeling is mutual ! We can all enjoy it together!”
For Tyler ICU, having DJs from the diaspora like Skyla Tylaa engage with Amapiano and its culture is a win for the genre. “This shows the power of the genre–it’s not just a sound, it’s a movement,” he says. “When someone like Skyla, who appreciates the culture and brings her own flavour, plays Amapiano in places like London, New York or Toronto, she’s not just playing music, she’s building bridges. That’s how we grow–by letting the world feel it in their own way, but staying true to where it started. It’s important that the roots are respected, but the branches can reach far.”
Just a couple of weeks since its release, “Bombshell” has crossed over 650,000 thousand views on YouTube and continues to be a sensation on TikTok. Like everything Skyla Tylaa has done up till now in her career, it’s shaping up perfectly and has shown that she has a knack for the right collaborations. She intends to keep making music. “This year, my focus is all about music,” she says. “I recently signed with Robots and Humans (Sony) in the UK and Epic in the US, which has given me a different level of drive to really want to create good music. I’m also looking forward to exploring the Afro-house genre and collaborating with other talented artists.”
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What OdumoduBlvck’s Greatest School Tour Could Mean For Touring In Nigeria
The rapper’s decision to embark on a local university tour of this nature could go on to become a...
There’s no denying that OdumoduBlvck’s 2023 mixtape ‘Eziokwu’ established his musical genius. While the half dozen projects that preceded ‘Eziokwu’ almost served as target practice, largely showcasing the early iterations of Okporoko music – his unique melodious rap fusion – it was his major label debut that truly grounded the rapper in Nigeria’s rich Hip-Hop lineage. The album’s far-reaching success culminated in a historic joint tour with fellow 2023 breakout star Shallipopi, which saw the two share the stage across 9 cities in the United States. Similarly, riding the high of his latest mixtape, ‘The Machine Is Coming,’ the Anti-World Gangstar head huncho recently announced a new tour. This time, however, instead of taking his new collection of infectious bangers to stages abroad, the rapper decided to visit different universities across the country for what he calls the ‘Greatest School Tour Ever.’
Touring in Nigeria is a subject that has become somewhat controversial over the last few years, splitting opinions amongst many fans, industry experts, and artists themselves. Back in the mid-2000s to early 2010s, local touring was very much the norm. Platforms like Star Music’s ‘The Trek,’ as well as a few prominent local promoters, enabled some of the biggest names like 2face, Olamide, and M.I to hold annual nationwide tours. These tours included stops in cities like Warri, Makurdi, Owerri and many other places that artists are less likely to visit today. University tours were also popular as they presented an avenue for these artists to connect with their younger audience, who mostly served as the bedrock of their fan base.
The rise of digital streaming platforms, which has partly informed the industry’s rapid evolution over the past decade, coupled with other economic and infrastructural issues, has, however, forced a sharp decline in local touring, making it an almost altruistic endeavour in today’s Nigeria. Afropop gaining global exposure meant that the international market immediately became more viable and lucrative to our biggest stars, and this reshaped their priorities. The extensive, multi-city shows became reserved for diaspora fans, while the local audience, in most cases, are treated to a solitary annual show.
OdumoduBlvck looks to buck this trend with the ‘Greatest School Tour Ever,’ prioritizing his primary audience before tending to those abroad. In truth, the Lagos-born rapper is not the only one who has embarked on this type of tour in recent times. A couple of years ago, UK-based rapper Kida Kudz and Ckay also went on similar campus tours, with the latter making stops at 10 different universities across the country. Llona, one of the breakout stars from last year, is also currently on a nationwide tour coming off the success of his impressive debut album ‘Homeless.’ The ‘Greatest School Tour Ever,’ is however, peculiar and momentous because of its timing and OdumoduBlvck’s standing as one of the biggest names around.
At the recent 17th Headies Awards, the rapper became the latest recipient of the Next Rated award, a highly coveted plaque that’s historically reserved for standout acts whose music defines the zeitgeist at a given period. He received the award just two days after he gave an electrifying performance at Afe Babalola University. His latest mixtape, ‘The Machine Is Coming,’ a precursor to his highly anticipated forthcoming debut, currently sits at the No. 2 spot on the Turntable Top 50 Album charts. It is unheard of in recent times: that the Headies Next Rated act, who has one of the top projects in the country, is on a local university tour. The Abuja-native has, however, shown on numerous occasions that he has never really been one to abide by existing standards. The famous opening lines from his breakout single “Declan Rice” (I can do without their Policy I Know), did not only serve as a message to gatekeepers and naysayers but also as a manifesto that declared his mode of operation going forward.
At the time of this writing, the rapper has only made two stops on his ongoing tour, but his decision to embark on a local tour of this nature already looks to be paying dividends. The first two shows have produced viral clips that capture his star power, the hysteria of his headline shows and his rapidly growing influence, especially amongst younger listeners. The viral clips have already created an increased demand for shows, with many young fans harassing the rapper to add more dates to the tour. With the release of ‘The Machine Is Coming’ and his recent crowning moment at the Headies, it’s safe to assume there’s more attention on him now than ever. While it is, of course, still early days, the rapper’s decision to embark on a local university tour, especially given that he’s currently experiencing a career high, could go on to become a significant moment, one that potentially inspires a shift in the touring landscape in Nigeria.
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NATIVE PREMIERE: Tanika Is Stepping Out On Her Terms With The Kida Kudz-Assisted “FAST FWD”
From working her way out of London’s Myatt’s Field, Tanika is now setting her sights on the bright lights...
Across a career that’s in its second decade, Tanika has proven to be a force in her own right, holding her own on collaborations with Black British stars like Stormzy and Wretch 32, as well as popular record producer Naughty Boy–working with the Grammy-nominated beatmaker on his acclaimed ‘Hotel Cabana’ album.
Following a stint as an actor, she returned to the studio in 2021, releasing a new extended play, ‘333,’ in 2023. The project carried all the hallmarks of Tanika at her tantalising best: lilting cadences, well-paced narratives, a songwriting that reaches for the heart of the matter.
On her latest song, “Fast Fwd,” she’s growing into her own and stepping into a new era. In many ways, “Fast Fwd,” a hypnotic, sultry anthem, is landing just in time for summer revelry. Produced by her longtime collaborator, Naughty Boy, her silky vocals land effortlessly on the mid-tempo instrumental and pulsates with her desire for her love interest.
Joined on the song by her fiancé, Kida Kudz, they make an interesting duo and replicate the synergy they had on “Nobody,” off Kudz’s 2021 ‘Top Memba.’ Distinctively marked by use of neon lights, the video for the song captures the effervescence of romance that Tanika hums about throughout the song.
From working her way out of London’s Myatt’s Field to becoming a star with millions of streams, Tanika is now setting her sights on the bright lights of superstardom. Ahead of the official release of the single, we had a brief chat with Tanika about her career, the influences for “Fast Fwd,” and working with KIda Kudz on it.
Her answers, which follow below, have been lightly edited for clarity.
How would you describe where you are in your career right now?
I’m just enjoying the journey.
What does the release of “Fast Fwd” signify for you?
It signifies love.
Why is Kida Kudz a fit for the song? (
To be honest, we didn’t plan to do another song together. I have worked on two records with him before (“Nobody” and “Tasty Time” ) but we never thought to shoot a video for it.. “Fast Fwd” felt like a real testimony of our present moment in the relationship.
You’ve worked extensively with Naughty Boy and he’s helped with “Fast Fwd,” what’s your relationship like and why does it work?
Naughty Boy knows me very well. We’ve known one another for over 10 years, so he knows what fits me musically. We gel. I think him knowing me and being a fan of Kida’s music made it all work. Naughty Boy does his listening before he makes a beat for you. A lot of producers don’t really understand the importance of knowing the artist musically but he does.
What were you aiming for with the video?
To be honest, I’m aiming for nothing. I’m just enjoying the journey. It’s been a very long road and I know I still have a long way to go.
Catch an exclusive view of “Fast Fwd” below.
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